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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843694">A Ticking Time Bomb</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dritameader/pseuds/Dritameader'>Dritameader</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Dream Smp, Dream Team SMP Spoilers, Family Dynamics, Gen, Insane!Wilbur, Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP Spoilers (Video Blogging RPF), sleepy bois inc - Freeform, smp war</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:21:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,668</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dritameader/pseuds/Dritameader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the war was seemingly over and L'Manberg was reclaimed, Wilbur was sure the ticking would stop—it had to stop, it <em>needed</em> to stop.  They had their land back, there was no reason to destroy it anymore! It was their L'Manberg—<em>his</em> L'Manberg—just like it was meant to be. The bombs didn't need to be detonated, so the ticking would stop.</p>
<p>But it didn't.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A oneshot based on this idea: ever since Wilbur placed the bombs in L'Manberg, a ticking noise began to sound in his head, symbolizing his fall to insanity.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>No Romantic Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Ticking Time Bomb</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wilbur sat in the dark, eyes darting across the words he'd scrawled on the walls when he'd made this room. He could barely hear the fireworks behind him, the blast of their colorful explosions muffled by the thick earth around him. It's not like he would have been able to hear them that well on the surface though, not with that stupid ticking noise in his ears.</p>
<p>He felt crazy—well, he was crazy, he knew that, but this was something else. He didn't know exactly when it started, sometime soon after founding Pogtopia he theorizes, but it's only gotten worse since then. When he first noticed it, it had been faint, barely even there.</p>
<p>One day, when he went to check on the TNT he'd rigged under L'Manberg, he heard something. At first, he'd thought it was just the dripping of water onto the stone floor, but when he got back to the surface it was still there. A faint ticking like that of a clock. When he'd asked Tommy about it later, the boy had just stared at him.</p>
<p>"You're spending too much time in your own head, Wilbur." Tommy told him as he polished his sword. "You're starting to hear things."</p>
<p>"I guess you could be right." Wilbur sighed and rubbed his eyes.</p>
<p>"Go get some sleep, Wilbur. You look exhausted."</p>
<p>Wilbur scoffed, a small smile on his face. "Since when were you the one giving orders?"</p>
<p>"Since you started talking about blowing up whole towns like a terrorist." He snapped, glaring at his brother.</p>
<p>Wilbur's smile faltered. Tommy went back to polishing his sword and Wilbur sighed. Yeah, sleep would probably help.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Tick tock. Tick tock.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sleep didn't help. Instead, the ticking got louder and louder each passing day. A few days after the festival, he decided to try asking his older brother about it. Maybe he’d be able to help.</p>
<p>"Hey, Techno?"</p>
<p>"Hmm?" The half-pig hybrid hummed in response as he worked on his potato farm.</p>
<p>"You have really good hearing, right?"</p>
<p>"I guess so."</p>
<p>"So uh, have you been hearing anything weird lately?"</p>
<p>"If you're referring to your nightly screaming and crying sessions into your pillow then I don't think I even need my enhanced hearing for that." Techno told him, monotone as always. "Honestly, Tommy should probably get his hearing checked out if he can't hear that."</p>
<p>"My- my what? I don't do that. I uh- I have no idea what you're even talking about."</p>
<p>"That wasn't it then?"</p>
<p>"No. No that wasn't. Is that all you've been hearing? No weird noises? Like, uh," he fiddled with his sleeve. "Like a ticking clock?"</p>
<p>Techno looked up from where he was knelt in the dirt and raised an eyebrow at Wilbur. "No?"</p>
<p>"Oh. Oh, okay." Wilbur laughed nervously, the ticking in his head continuing at a steady pace, just loud enough to be heard over his own thoughts. "That's good."</p>
<p>Techno slowly stood, wiping his dirty hands off on his pants. He studied his brother's face. "Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"Yeah! Yeah I'm perfectly fine. It's just that there's this broken clock nearby and since you, y'know, have enhanced hearing I just wanted to make sure it wasn't bothering you or anything. That's what brothers are for, am I right?" He rambled. “See ya later!”</p>
<p>"Uh. Yeah." Techno watched as Wilbur scampered out the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>TICK TOCK. TICK TOCK.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After that moment, Wilbur knew that no one else would be able to help him. He couldn't say he was surprised—he already knew he had no one he could trust anymore, this just proved it. He had also discovered that the ticking noise was linked to the button room in some way, but he didn't know what it meant. Was it telling him to press the button, or was it telling him to resist the urge? Well, he knew the answer now, at least.</p>
<p>When the war was seemingly over and L'Manberg was reclaimed, Wilbur was sure the ticking would stop—it had to stop, it <em>needed</em> to stop.  They had their land back, there was no reason to destroy it anymore! It was their L'Manberg—<em>his</em> L'Manberg—just like it was meant to be. The bombs didn't need to be detonated, so the ticking would stop.</p>
<p>But it didn't.</p>
<p>Wilbur sat with his back to the wall, holding his hands over his ears in a desperate attempt to block out the ticking but it was no use. The ticking continued, ricocheting off the walls of his mind like the resounding bang of a gong.  It blocked out everything around him. Every noise, every thought, every plea—whether it was from others or himself, he wouldn't even be able to tell—it was all overshadowed by that God forsaken sound.</p>
<p>It was painful, proving to be much more than the harmless nuisance he originally thought it was. He flinched with each tick, held back a sob with each tock. There was a second of silence within the ticking, giving him just a taste of relief, only for the sound to strike back even louder. His head felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside over and over and over. He couldn't take it anymore! </p>
<p>Wilbur pushed himself to his feet and took a few steps towards the button. It was calling out to him, begging him to press it. Begging him to set off the bombs and stop the ticking. And he was going to listen.</p>
<p>"Wilbur?"</p>
<p>Wilbur's hand flinched away from the button and he turned to the familiar voice. "Phil?"</p>
<p>"What are you doing?"</p>
<p>"Ph-Phil. How are you- how are you doing that?"</p>
<p>"How am I doing what, Wilbur?"</p>
<p>"I can hear you. I can hear your voice, I can hear what you're saying!"</p>
<p>"You can hear me? Why wouldn't you be able to hear me?” He looked at his son with eyes full of concern. “The fireworks aren't that loud, are they?”</p>
<p>Wilbur didn't understand. Philza's voice was as clear to him as it always was. He somehow managed to speak at the perfect time, right when the ticking was silent. "The- the ticking!"</p>
<p>"Ticking?" Philza took a step forward and tentatively began to reach out a hand.</p>
<p>Wilbur took a step back. "The ticking! The fucking ticking! It's been going on for weeks! It won't get out of my fucking head! It's all I've been hearing! Just, tick tock tick tock tick tock on fucking repeat day in and day out! It came out of nowhere and it's just been getting worse and worse!"</p>
<p>"Wilbur, what are you talking about?"</p>
<p>"I don't know what it is or why it's here but I haven't been able to think straight since the festival! Or was it before that? I don't know anymore!" He started pulling on his hair as he grew more frantic, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as the pain increased by the minute. "The stupid ticking is louder than my fucking thoughts! I haven't been able to hear someone clearly for days! And it hurts! It hurts so bad, Phil! I just want it to stop!"</p>
<p>Wilbur flinched when a pair of hands gently wrapped around his wrists. He peeked an eye open and was met with a pair of comforting blue eyes. Almost instantly, he felt himself relax. The pain seemed to fade a bit and even the ticking quieted. Philza gently removed Wilbur's hands from his hair and brought them back down to his sides.</p>
<p>"It's okay, Wilbur. I'm here." He reassured him softly. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."</p>
<p>"I want it to stop, Phil. Please make it stop." Wilbur whispered, tears threatening to spill. He could still hear the ticking, but it was fainter now. </p>
<p>Cautiously, Philza wrapped the boy in a hug, guiding his head to his shoulder.  Wilbur melted in his hold, hands gripping the back of Phil's clothes so tightly that his knuckles were white. </p>
<p>Phil continued to whisper words of comfort and reassurance as he gently rubbed his son’s back. Wilbur focused on that, ignoring the chaos in his head in favor of the safety his father provided him. It seemed to be working.</p>
<p>“How do you do this?” He murmured, face pressed against Phil’s shoulder.</p>
<p>"Must just be a dad thing." Philza smiled.</p>
<p>Wilbur smiled back. Maybe Philza was right: he'd be okay.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>TICK TOCK. TICK TOCK.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wilbur flinched, pulling away from Philza and yelling out in pain.</p>
<p>"Wilbur!?" Philza's voice still managed to reach him through the ticking. It sounded weaker.</p>
<p>"No! No, don't do this please!" He buried his fingers in his hair again. “It was working! I was fine! Don't do this!”</p>
<p>"Wilbur? Will, what is it?" His voice was fading. </p>
<p>"NONONONO! Stop it! Shut up you stupid fucking clock! Please, let me hear him! <em>PLEASE!</em>"</p>
<p>"Wilbur-" </p>
<p>He cried out again, falling to his knees. The pain was unbearable now. He felt like he was going to pass out and he could barely see through his tears. He had to stop it! </p>
<p>He struggled to his feet and reached out to press the button. The closer he got, the louder the clock ticked. It wanted him to press it. That's what it wanted all along.</p>
<p>He turned to Philza who stared at him with wide, panicked eyes. He was speaking, Wilbur noticed, but it didn't change anything. He wouldn't be able to hear him until the ticking stopped.</p>
<p>He suddenly remembered something an old friend had said, a phrase that had been burned into his brain. He realised now that Eret was right. He smiled sadly, hand hovering over the button. “It was never meant to be.” He reminded himself, voice cracking.</p>
<p>Then, he pressed it.</p>
<p>Within a second he could feel Philza holding him tightly, his wings wrapping around the two of them to protect them from falling debris when the TNT went off. As his nation fell apart around him, Wilbur felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He did it. </p>
<p>The ticking finally stopped.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooooo... This is my first time posting anything I've written. Still not sure how all of this works yet... But I hope you all enjoyed!</p>
<p>Feel free to leave any tips or criticism, I'm sure it'll be helpful. Sorry if the formatting was really bad btw, I'm on mobile.</p>
<p>Hopefully I'll post more of the various things I write! Until then, have a good day/night! :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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